Local backs now in front at UMass

Sunday

Aug 29, 2010 at 1:31 AMAug 29, 2010 at 3:21 AM

While the pundits may have UMass finishing eighth in the 10-team Colonial Athletic Association, the Minutemen are ready to sound the appropriate response.

“That’s motivation for us,” said redshirt junior tailback Jonathan Hernandez of Leominster, UMass’ second-leading rusher last season. “We’re a young team, but we have a lot of hungry players. Some of the teams may be surprised.”

And just as Hernandez has come into his own, he is joined in the backfield by former Oakmont Regional scatback John Griffin, on board for his senior season after Northeastern University dropped football.

“Jon has done a marvelous job for us; he’s a tough, fast runner,” said Morris, the former WPI coach. “And now we get an all-league first-teamer in John Griffin, so we know we’re pretty strong with those two guys at tailback.”

Hernandez, filling in for the injured Tony Nelson, rushed for 140 yards and three touchdowns in his first start, en route to finishing with 577 yards (4.8 per carry) and eight rushing TDs last year. All Griffin did at Northeastern last fall was rush for 1,009 yards, including one 200-yard game.

“First, he brings great speed to the program, but he’s also a senior,” Morris said of Griffin, “and how often do you get a senior to come into your program who’s a first-team all-league back in your own league.”

“We’re competing, but it’s a friendly competition,” said Griffin, who teamed with Hernandez in the 2007 Shriners Chowder Bowl Classic. “He’s helping me out, and I’m helping him out. We’ve been friends since high school. So coming here, it was great that we knew each other. He’s been helping me out since day one.”

Griffin, Hernandez and Emil Igwenagu, UMass’ junior captain out of Holy Name who is now the starting tight end, were tailbacks leading Central Mass. over Western Mass., 14-13, with Dominique Price, now a reserve wide receiver at UMass, catching the winning TD pass. “It’s great to see us reunited again,” said Griffin, who had a 36-yard scoring run in that game.

“Having John Griffin gives us that 1-2 punch in the backfield and takes the load off any one running back,” said Igwenagu, a preseason All-CAA first-team selection.

The Minutemen lost All-America lineman Vladimir Ducasse among seven offensive starters, but senior Greg Niland, who last fall opened many holes for Griffin at Northeastern, has impressed in preseason. In all, UMass collected three transfers from Northeastern and two from Hofstra, another CAA team that dropped football. Senior wide receiver Anthony Nelson had 40 catches, four for TDs at Hofstra last season.

Twelve Minutemen hail from Central Mass., with more and more ready to contribute. Senior Andrew Krevis of Northbridge, who backs up Igwenagu, had a TD catch in a 21-17 season-opening loss at Kansas State last season (“In front of 50,000 people, it took the air out of the stadium a bit,” Krevis said). Morris reports that redshirt freshman defensive lineman Brandon Potvin (Holy Name/Worcester) and tight end Rob Blanchflower (St. John’s/Leominster) are making great strides.

“It’s Central Mass, it’s Eastern Mass., it’s Western Mass. — we want Mass. kids in the program, and they’ve got to have an impact,” said Morris, whose team travels to Michigan in Week 3 and faces New Hampshire at Gillette Stadium in October. “They’re the foundation of our program here at UMass.”

The Minutemen may be young (only 16 seniors) and coming off a 5-6 season, but Igwenagu still has them aiming high.

“The goals for this team are just like in any other season — conference championship and national championship,” he said. “Anything less is not a successful season because that’s what UMass strives for every year.”